Process of building brick kiln arches



June 6, 1933. SHELHAMER 1,912,662

PROCESS OF BUILDING BRICK KILN ARCHES Filed March 5, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l n 0 (n 0 v June 6, 1933. L. w. SHELHAMER 1,912,662

PROCESS OF BUILDING BRICK KILN ARCHES Filed March 5, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 6,1933

UNITED, STATES P N OFFICE LESTER w. SHELHAMER, or OAK PARK, ILLINoIs, ssienonaocAnEY BRICK coM- may, or CHICAGO, rumors, A .CORBOBA'IION OF rumors PROCESS BUILDING BRICK KILN AR-QHES Application filed March 5,

The present invention relates to brick kiln arches and the method of producing the same. a Among the objects of the invention is to provide a novel arch construction and a novel method of effecting the same. When bricks upper layers of bricks without the breaking of the arch, which is very disadvantageous.

In the present invention the piles, without arches or arch portions, are built up completely in the general form of a rectangular parallelopiped, then, as such, transferred by suitable mechanical handling and setting mechanism, to the kiln and set down. Each successive pile is set down in given spaced relation to the previously set down pile. Then bricks of the two upper layers only, of the proximate piles, are displaced to close the arch therebetween. By this means and method arches of a width equal to the length of one and one-third, and one and one-half bricks may be closed with but two layers of bricks.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a pile of green bricks on a car;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of two piles set down with a spacer;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing two proximate and spaced piles before displacing the 1931. Serial No. 520,296..

means suchas a car 1 at themoulding plant- The lower two layers of bricks 2, 3, 1 and 5 are laid end to end and side to side, with spaces 6 between the groups as is clearly shown in Fig.1 of the drawings. At the ends of the piles, but two bricks 7 and 8 are lined up. l

The third layer of bricks 9 are laid crosswiseof bricks 4, 5 and 8 of the second row. The fourth row of bricks 10 are laid crosswise of bricks 9. The succeeding layers or rows are similarly laid, as is clearly shown in Fig; "1 of the drawings. Extra bricks 11, 12, 11 and 12 are placed on top of the fill. in spaces, as later described.

lVhen the pile is completed, it is in the general form of a rectangular liiarallelopiped.

When the pile has been transported on the car 1 to-the kiln, a crane lowers a mechanical lifter, such as that described in Penfields Patent No. 999,519 or Francis Patent No. 859,445, and the lifting bars or fingers of the lifter are insertedin the spaces 6 at the bottom of the stack orpile of bricks. The crane then lifts the lifter with the stack of bricks, and conveys the same to the place in the kiln wherethe stack is to be set down. The lifting bars lift againstbricks 9, and the mechanism in the bars, laterally press against the bricks of the lower two layers to prevent their falling out. i

The stack is set down in the kiln, and if a previous stack has been set down, a spacer 13 isfirst placed against an end of the previously set stack, and the succeeding stack set down with an end thereof against the opposite side of the spacer.

piles to 7 iii) The spacer 13 may be of any suitable construction, and may comprise walls 14 and 15 (see Fig. 2) adapted to lie adjacent the proximate ends of proximate stacks, and cross or tie members 16 for holding the Walls 14 and 15 in proper relation.

After a pair of stacks have been thus set down, the spacer 13 is removed, and the workman displaces bricks from the two upper layers of the stacks. Bricks l7 and 18 are turned from the positions shown thereof in Fig. 2 and moved out about one third or more of ab-rick length, as is clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 6. This forms a space 19 between bricks 17 and 18. The spaces behind bricks 17 and 18, are then filled in with bricks 11 and 12.

Bricks 20 and 21 are moved out over bricks 17 and 18, and close the gap 19, as is clearly shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. The spaces left behind bricks 20 and 21, are filled with bricks 11' and 12 Other stacks may be set down on the top of the stacks above described without reference to the position of the arches. It is not necessary to close the arches by upper stacks.

While I have herein described and on the drawings shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention and a method of producing the same, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but comprehends other arrangements, parts, details, features and process steps without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

A process of building brick kiln arches comprising piling green bricks into rectangular piles with the bricks of each top layer arranged lengthwise of the pile and the bricks of each next lower layer disposed transversely of the pile, setting down two or more of said piles in longitudinally spaced relation, the space between each adjacent pair of piles being greater than the length of a brick, displacing transversely positioned bricks of the second from the top layers at positions adjoining said space, and turning the displaced bricks to positions disposed longitudinally of the piles with the end portions projected toward each other and overhanging said space, so as to form part of an arch, and then displacing longitudinally positioned bricks of the top layers to abutted positions overhanging the spaced apart ends of the first mentioned displaced bricks, so as to complete said arch, and finally filling the spaces between the other ends of the displaced bricks and the adjacent bricks of each pile by inserting additional transversely disposed bricks. 1

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification.

' LESTER W. SHELHAMER. 

